Devices for streaking hair

ABSTRACT

A cap, positionable on the head to cover the hair, is provided on the outside thereof with a plurality of open-ended flexible tubular members into which hanks of hair are drawn. Inner ends of the members adjacent the cap are then closed around the hanks of hair and a treating solution is introduced into the members through the outer ends thereof, after which the outer ends are closed off and the solution is permitted to treat the hanks of hair in the tubular members.

United States Patent Inventor William A. Hall R.F.D. 200, Greenbriar Ave., Ormond Beach, Fla. 32074 Appl. No. 869,022

Filed Oct. 24, 1969 4 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 DEVICES FOR STREAKING HAIR 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 132/9 Int. Cl A4511 1/00 Field of Search 132/9, 5,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,924 10/1953 Petitta 132/9 3,304,945 2/1967 Anderson 132/9 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerGregory E. McNeil] AttorneyJerry B. Cesak ABSTRACT: A cap, positionable on the head to cover the hair, is provided on the outside thereof with a plurality of open-ended flexible tubular members into which hanks of hair are drawn. Inner ends of the members adjacent the cap are then closed around the hanks of hair and a treating solution is introduced into the members through the outer ends thereof, after which the outer ends are closed off and the solution is permitted to treat the hanks of hair in the tubular members.

BEST AVAILABLE cow PATENTEU um 51% INVENTOR= BTWILLIAM A. HALL DEVICES FOR STREAKING HAIR This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the art of treating human hair in situ, and in particular the invention concerns itself with an apparatus for socalled streaking or frosting selected strands or hanks of dark hair or, conversely, for providing dark streaks in light or prebleached hair.

In accordance with conventional practice streaking cap, similar to a bathing cap but provided with a plurality of openings, was applied to the head and selected strands or hanks of hair were drawn from under the cap through the openings to the outside, where a treating solution was applied to such hair strands. This was done either openly by solutionsoaked applicator pads held with rubber gloves, or special devices were necessarily applied to the hair strands for containing the treating solution.

The principal object of the invention is to substantially improve upon the conventional hair-streaking practices, this being attained by providing an improved cap which is equipped on the outside thereof with a plurality of openended, flexible tubular members into which selected strands of hair may be drawn and into which the solution may be introduced for treating the hair strands within the tubular members with much greater ease and effectiveness than has heretofore been possible.

The device of the invention is simple in construction, convenient in use, and lends itself to economical manufacture so that, if desired, it may be disposed of after a single use.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view showing the hair-streaking device of the invention in situ on the head of a user;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing one of the tubular members on the cap;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a strand of hair drawn into one of the tubular members;

Flg. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the inner end of the tubular member clamped while hair-treating solution is introduced through the outer end of the tubular member; and

FIG. 5 is a view of the solution-filled member with both its ends clamped while the treatment is in progress.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows the hair-streaking device of the invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The same comprises a cap 12 which is positionable on the users head so as to fully cover the hair, the cap being formed from any suitable flexible material and adapted to snugly fit the head.

In accordance with the invention a plurality of flexible, open-ended tubular members 14 are disposed freely at the outside of the cap 12, the inner ends of these members being connected to the cap at selected points and the inner end of each member being open so as to communicate with the interior of the cap, as indicated at 16 in FIG. 2. Each member also has an open outer end indicated at 18, and with reference to FIG. 2 it should be noted that the wall thicknesses of the cap 12 and member 14 are greatly exaggerated for illustrative purposes and that actually these wall thicknesses may be on the order of only a few thousandths of an inch. Preferably, the tubular members 14 are formed integrally with the cap 12, although they may be formed separately and then suitably secured to the cap, if so desired.

When the invention is placed in use for making light streaks in dark hair, or alternatively, dark streaks in light or prebleached hair, the cap is applied to the head as shown in FIG. 1 and selected hanks or strands of hair of a selected strand thickness are drawn from under the cap into the tubular members 14, one such hair strand being drawn into a single member 14, as indicated at 20 in FIG. 3. The number of hair strands to be treated may correspond to the number of the members 14 which are available on the cap, although if the desired number of strands is smaller, only some of the members 14 may be utilized. A strand of hair may be drawn outwardly from the cap with the fingers after the member 14 is rolled back toward the cap and subsequently rolled out over the withdrawn hair strand, or the member 14 may be left extended and a suitable instrument inserted inwardly through the open outer end 18 of the member for drawing the hair strand into the member from under the cap. In any event, after the hair strand 20 has been placed in the tubular member 14 as shown in FIG. 3, the inner open end portion 16 of the member is closed ofi' or sealed around the hair strand. This may be done either by axially twisting the tubular member at that point, or by constricting the same with a tie cord or a suitable clamp, as indicated at 22 in FIG. 4. A suitable hairtreating solution is then introduced into the tubular member 14 through the open outer end 18 thereof, as for example by a suitable applicator 24, and with this accomplished, the outer end of the member is closed or sealed off by any suitable means 26 as shown in FIG. 5, so that the introduced solution, indicated at 28 in FIG. 5, is contained within the member 14 for treating the hair strand 20 therein. For all practical purposes, the outer end closure means 26 may be a tie cord, a constrictive elastic band, a resilient clamp, or the like, similar to the closure means at 22.

Sufficient time is then allowed for the solution treatment of the hair strand to take place, and since the material of the tubular members 14 is preferably transparent, the progress of the treatment may be observed without opening the outer end of the tubular member, although that may be done if desired or necessary. When the desired streaking efiect has been obtained, the closure 26 is removed to open the outer end of the tubular member and water is injected through the open outer end in order to arrest the action of the treating solution and to wash most of the solution out of the tubular member. The constrictive closures 22 may then be removed from all the tubular members and the cap removed from the head, during which procedure the treated hair strands will be automatically withdrawn from the tubular members as the cap is removed.

Shampoo and a nonperoxide toner may then be applied to the hair in the usual manner. However, if the toner of a peroxide type is to be used, this is done prior to removal of the cap from the head by pushing back the tubular member 14 to expose the hair strand while the inner end closure 22 is still in place, washing the hair strand and applying a peroxide toner thereto, whereupon the outer end of the tubular member is closed by the means 26 and sufi'rcient time is allowed for the treatment to take place, as already explained. Washing is then repeated and the entire cap removed for final shampooing.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that inasmuch as the treating solution is introduced from the applicator 24 directly into the tubular members 14, the operator does not need to wear rubber gloves. Moreover, while the treatment is in progress, the solution is sealed in the closed-off tubular member and the streaking action takes place much faster than when the hair strand is exposed to the atmosphere, and such action may be further expedited by application of heat from a conventional hair dryer, which is not feasible in conventional hair-streaking operations.

The caps of the invention may be provided with tubular members of different lengths to suit different lengths of hair, and both the tubular members and the caps may be made of very thin material such as rubber latex or plastic at low cost, so that the device may be discarded after a single use, if so desired.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A device for use in streaking human hair in situ, said device comprising a cap adapted to be positioned on a head and cover the hair, a plurality of flexible elongated tubular members connected at one end thereof to and disposed freely at the outside of said cap, said members having a length sufficient to fully accommodate hanks of hair therein and having open inner ends in communication with the interior of the cap so that hanks of hair may be drawn into said elongated members for treatment therewithin, said members also having an further characterized in that said elongated tubular members are sufficiently flexible to permit them to be manually flexed and otherwise similarly deformed for agitating the solution during treatment. 

1. A device for use in streaking human hair in situ, said device comprising a cap adapted to be positioned on a head and cover the hair, a plurality of flexible elongated tubular members connected at one end thereof to and disposed freely at the outside of said cap, said members having a length sufficient to fully accommodate hanks of hair therein and having open inner ends in communication with the interior of the cap so that hanks of hair may be drawn into said elongated members for treatment therewithin, said members also having an opening in their outer ends through which a solution may be introduced for treating hanks of hair inside the elongated tubular members, and closure means removably applicable to the inner and outer end portions of said tubular members for confining the treating solution therein, said device being further characterized in that said elongated tubular members are sufficiently flexible to permit them to be manually flexed and otherwise similarly deformed for agitating the solution during treatment. 